After Ba Sing Se
by Straight
Summary: A story featuring what I think wil happen in Season three. There will be a couple pairing later on!
1. Leaving Ba Sing SE

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the last airbender.

Katara hugged Aang closer to her body pressing him right up against her chest. She didn't bother to think about what Sokka would've said if Aang was conscious and she could just imagine looking down and seeing Aang's normally pale cheeks burning crimson red. But Katara was too worried to think about it. After all who cared what their brothers thought if the fire nation was going to take over the world? Not Katara.

She took a deep breath then let it out while gazing at the sky. How she wished that she could be one of those stars. Just sitting in one place all day then when night came would shine with all her beauty. If only life was like the star but then again stars weren't safe either. After all they would explode one day as well.

" How are we going to beat the Fire Nation now?" Katara looked away from the stars and pointed her head upwards to look at Sokka.

" What do you mean?" Toph asked.

" I mean now that Azula has complete control over Ba Sing Se what are we going to do? We can't invade the Fire Nation now! Not since the Dai Lee are on her side!" Sokka screamed.

" Well maybe." Came the King's quiet voice. Katara strained her neck to see him but no dice all she could see was Sokka and Appa's fluffy head. " We can head over to another Earth Kingdom and they can help us."

Toph's voice cut through the air. " There are no other Earth Kingdoms to help us! Why do you think we wanted to meet you so badly!" Katara saw one of Toph's arms go through the air then it went down.

" Really?" The King's voice full of curiousity.

" Yes!" yelled Sokka.

" Oh." There was a loud thumping sound that meant that Sokka was now laying against Appa, sprawled out on his back. Ten seconds later a loud roar roared. " I think Bosco's hungry." Toph replied, her tone now bored.

The King shushed his pet bear, before peeking over Appa's head and looking down at Katara. " Is there any food there?"

" Yeah! I'm starving!" Sokka's head appeared besides the Kings. Katara shook her head causing her hair to fly around then whack her in the face. " I'm afraid not."

Sokka groaned loudly before lying down again. The King merely turned around. " Be quiet Bosco there isn't any food, so don't growl at me." Katara peeked over Appa's back to see Bosco growl at the King.

The King turned to Toph. " I knew I shouldn't have spoiled him back at the palace."

Toph shrugged. " Whatever. Hey I'm hitting the hay. So are we going to sleep on Appa or are we landing?"

" How about we sleep on Appa?" Sokka questioned. " After all he's warm and his fur provides a good blanket."

Appa growled at his words and he jaunted his back up slightly, causing Sokka to say "Whoa!" and land on top of Toph. Toph quickly pushed him off though there was a small blush in her cheeks for a moment before it disappeared and no one noticed it.

" I think Appa wants to sleep." Katara patted his head. " Don't you?" She said in a baby voice.

Appa growled. Katara nodded. And Appa started to descend to the ground. " So was that a yes?" The King questioned Toph. " You're reeeaaal smart aren't you?" She asked back.

" Why thanks for noticing I- hey! Say, did you just use sarcasm on me?" the King asked.

" Uh- huh."

" Fascinating!"His voice rang with delight. " Would you do it again and explain it?"

" You don't get out much do you?"

" No I don't."

Toph gave a sigh. " OK I'll show you. Hey Sokka."

Sokka turned to face Toph. " What is it?"

" You're real handsome did you know that?" She asked in a sarcastic voice.

" Why thanks. I have been working out and I just recently- you're being sarcastic aren't you?"

" Why what are you talking about Sokka? I just _love_ to hear you talk about yourself its…………..fascinating!"

" You do?" Sokka exclaimed in surprise. Katara cocked an eyebrow. " You're being sarcastic aren't you?" Sokka asked, the disappointment clear in his voice.

" Yup. Get it now your highness?"

" I most certainly do. Thank you Toph Bei Fong."

" You're welcome."

" We've landed!" Katara called out. Toph jumped off Appa and created a huge crater in the ground. " Aaahhh! Sweet land."

"You weren't off the ground for that long Toph." Sokka pointed out. Toph lifted her left foot and sent Sokka flying. " Oof." He landed back on the ground.

" Neither were you." Toph took a stance then pulled her arms down and her earth tent popped up. " Night all."

" You're not going to help us unpack!?" Sokka exclaimed indignantly.

" Look let's not have the big argument that me and Katara went through, OK? Besides we have nothing to unpack!"

" Toph has a point." Katara said." But how are we going to sleep?"

" Try sleeping on the ground." Toph suggested. " It's plenty comfy."

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" That's it!" Sokka exclaimed the what seemed hundredth time that night.

" What?" Toph and Katara shouted back at him. Both their eyes were bloodshot and there were huge bags underneath their eyes- thanks to Sokka.

" I can't sleep on the ground! It's too uncomfy!"

Katara sighed. " That's what you said the last time. And the time before that. And the time before that and-"

" Ok. But the ground is really uncomfortable." Sokka pouted.

" Sleep on the grass!" Toph yelled.

" But there's no telling what's peed there! I mean there could be- "

" Just do it!" Katara and Toph screamed together.

" Oh alright!" Sokka grumbled. Katara sighed then looked at the Earth King. He was cuddling with Bosco and was asleep. Katara wondered how he had been able to sleep all this time and the time before that when Sokka had complained. And all the times before that.

Toph then voiced what Katara was thinking. " Wonder how the king's been able to sleep through all this. And Aang too."

Katara glanced at Aang's body. They had left him on Appa in a comfortable position. He was lying on his back on top of Appa's head. And he was still out cold. But the important thing was that he was alive. Katara pounded at the ground with her fist then cursed as pain came rushing through._ What Azula did was cowardly_. She thought fiercely. _Attacking Aang like that before he was in the Avatar State. And before he could knock her out!_ In her mind Katara reviewed all that they knew about Azula. She was the fire lord's daughter, a skilled bender, deadly, would probably kill anybody that got in her way and Katara wouldn't be surprised if she already had. And she's Zuko's sister.

Zuko. Yet another member of the fire nation that was on her list of people that she hated. She thought that they might've actually been………dare she say it friends when they had been trapped together and for a fleeting moment before he had hurled a fireball at Aang she had thought he might've been on her side. She knew that Zuko had been an ass to them in the past and was now a is an ass to them if Zuko had fought on their side then they would've taken Azula down and they might've had a chance to beat the Fire Nation and would've found a few teachers to teach firebending to Aang. Namely Iroh and Zuko.

_Well it's his lost._ She thought bitterly. _Now he won't be able to get that scar off of his face. _A loud snore startled her out of her thoughts. _Better be getting some sleep_. She thought before allowing herself to trail off into a deep sleep.

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The Earth King giggled. " Stop licking me Bosco." Bosco gave him a sad look before cuddling his head next to the King looked around him. _It seems like all my traveling companions are still sleeping_. He thought to himself. " Well, Bosco. Look's like we're the only ones awake and I'm hungry." The king scratched his head. " Plus I don't know how to cook." He mumbled to himself. " Oh well! I guess I'll just have to find out."

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It had been two minutes since the king had started walking around the campsite. " I think that people use wood to start a fire. What do you think Bosco?" Bosco gave him a look that seemed to say ' I don't know.' The king sighed. " Me neither." The king sat down on a rock. " Who would think that not living in a palace would be so hard? I don't even know how to start a fire!" He gave a sigh. " I can't even earth bend!" He turned to Bosco and exclaimed " And what kind of a king can't even fight for his own people! I should at least know how to use a weapon of some type if I can't bend! I really am the king fool."

" Don't worry sir. I think you're alright."

The king quickly turned around to find himself facing Toph. " Don't beat yourself up your highness." She continued. " It's not your fault that you don't know how to do simple tasks and that you didn't even know that there was a conspiracy in your kingdom and that there has been a war going on in the world for a hundred years."

" Thanks…….. I think."

" You can always learn how to do those things sir."

" You're right! So how do we start a fire?"

Toph shrugged.

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An hour later Sokka, Bosco, the Earth king, Toph and Katara were sitting cross-legged around a campfire, eating berries and cooked fish. " In all my life……. I've never had fish for breakfast!" The king exclaimed. " And it's delicious!" He bit into his piece.

" When do you guys think Aang's gonna wake up?" Sokka asked while pointing behind him where Aang was. Katara looked up. " Hey! He's not there!"


	2. Welcome to Knee how

Me: Hi! Now IceFire9 asked a good question when I published this story. " What couple will it be?" So anybody got any suggestions?

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Katara felt all the blood drain from her face. " Where is he?" She exclaimed.

" I don't know!" Sokka yelled, the panic in his voice growing with each word. After all the blame did fall on them. How could you tell the world that somehow you had lost the Avatar and that there was no hope left for any of them? And that they would all have to live underneath the Fire Nation's rules.

" Would you two stop panicking?" Toph asked calmly.

" Why? Toph! Aang is gone! And Aang is the avatar! The last hope for the world!" yelled Sokka. Sokka had screamed this all in Toph's face. Literally there faces were only inches apart. Toph poked Sokka in the forehead. " ' Cuz he's up in that tree."

At that moment Aang decided to leap out of the oak tree he had been hiding in. " Toph!" He exclaimed while jumping through the air. " Why'd you have to tell them?" Aang laughed as he came closer to the ground. " Ha ha ha." But his laughter turned into an " Uh-oh." As he was only two feet away from the fire. One foot away from the hot flames of the fire. His butt was only an inch away… " Ouch! Ouch! Ouch." Aang quickly hopped off the fire and ran around in a circle before Katara bended some water and put the fire out.

Aang sighed. " Thanks Katara." Aang gave her a confused look as he turned around and found Katara blushing and giggling. " What?" Behind him he heard Sokka burst out laughing.

" What is it?" the king asked Sokka. Sokka whispered quietly into the king's ear. Aang turned to find the king saying " Oh my." Before he covered his eyes with his right hand.

" What's going on?" Aang yelled.

" C- check your pants!" Sokka said in between each laugh.

Aang turned his neck to look at the back of his pants, since he hadn't found anything wrong with it in the front. " Ack!" Aang had turned around to realise that the seat of his pants was no longer there. Obviously burnt off by the fire not the mention the fight that he had participated in the night before that might have created a little tare and wear in that location. There Aang the Avatar stood, the only hope for the world, giving everybody a good look of his butt that they would soon not forget. Aang quickly clasped both hands over his bottom, blushing like crazy.

" Do I have another pair of pants?

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Having not found another pair of pants for Aang, Katara had fashioned a patch of leaves that they attached to Aang 's pants and covered his butt from the world. But it came at a heavy price. If there was a strong wind it would probably blow off and Aang would once again moon the world. Not to mention the fact that the leaves were incredibly itchy.

Once again they had all climbed aboard Appa and were heading off to a market place.

" Ok, so the plan is stop in a market place that isn't taken over by Fire Nation, buy Aang a pair of pants then what?" said Sokka.

" Buy a rash lotion for Aang." Said Aang as he scratched his butt.

" Don't even bother asking why." Toph whispered to the king before he could ask. Aang turned around to glare at Toph but it made no difference, as we all know Toph is blind.

Katara smiled before pointing some fifty feet below them. " Hey! There's a village!"

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Zuko paced his quarters in the large Ba Sing Se palace. So far according to Azula no body knew that the fire nation had invaded Ba Sing Se and were in the palace except for Azula, Ty Lee, Mai and the Dai Lee. Zuko was still lost. True he wanted to regain his honour but was it worth it? Was it so important to him that he was willing to give up his uncle? The only one that had helped him after he was banished from the Fire Nation until he could find the avatar. The one that had helped him when he had that fever just a few days back. Was he really willing to just throw his beloved uncle into the dungeon and then celebrate the fact that he had his honour back? Zuko stopped pacing and banged his fist against the stonewall. " Uncle…." He mumbled, remembering the first time he had met him.

Flashback

_A four-year-old Zuko stood in the great palace of the Fire Nation in the entrance hall. The slender walls were hand painted a bright red with hand carved patterns of the fire nation insignia at the bottom; the windows had an image of each and every one of them. All past, present and future fire lords. Underneath the expensive rug with the exquisite design of a dragon stood Zuko in his newly tailored shoes._

" _Any moment now prince Zuko." His father spoke in a voice dangerously soft. " My good for nothing older brother will burst through those doors and you will meet him." Here his father stopped to point at the large mahogany doors in front of them. " Your uncle Iroh, Lu Ten's father."_

_Zuko nodded, well knowing from his father's tone of voice that he did not like his brother though Zuko thought that his uncle must be like his cousin Lu Ten; incredibly nice and funny. He decided not to voice his opinion though. The last time he had said that he had liked ' the teapot on the left' better than the one on the right; the one that his father preferred he had gotten spanked five times before his mother had come in and demanded that his father ' stop that this instant.'_

_Five minutes later had passed before Zuko heard a word that his father said many times when he was angry. Zuko giggled as he repeated the word in his mind. He often wondered what it meant but when he had asked his mother she had looked shocked then put her hands on his shoulders and told him never to repeat that word. " He's late as usual." Fire prince Ozai growled._

_At that moment the right door swung open and a man with plenty of stomach stepped forward. " Ozai!" He cried before running forward to greet his brother. Zuko squinted to see his uncle Iroh as when his uncle had opened the door a lot of sunlight had spilt into the room. Uncle Iroh was dressed in fire nation armour that still had spikes on the shoulders. Though it looked like he had just returned from battle Zuko guessed he hadn't judging by the way he wasn't wearing the long legged army boots the fire nation army wore but red slippers with a gold trim. But Zuko didn't have much time to wonder why his uncle had not cleaned his face as there was dirt on his chin._

_After Iroh had embraced Ozai in a big hug he turned to face Zuko. " So you must be Zuko, my nephew." Iroh told Zuko as he knelt down to his height._

_Zuko straightened up as if he wanted to prove that he could be tall too. " And you must be my uncle Iroh." He said in a squeaky voice. Iroh gave a big laugh before reaching forward and putting Zuko on his shoulders. " That's right!" And Iroh ran around the room with little prince Zuko on him. _

_Zuko felt strange. A feeling that he had not experienced for a while was forming in his stomach. The same feeling he had gotten the first time Lu Ten had visited. Zuko gripped his stomach, wishing that he hadn't had bean soup for lunch. Iroh looked at his nephew's face, confused, he remembered that when he had done this with Lu Ten when he was Zuko's age he had been screaming with laughter but Zuko hadn't said anything, yet alone giggled._

_Iroh's face turned to shock before he quickly set down Zuko on a large couch full of soft cusihions with a gold trim. " Calm down Zuko and take a deep breath." As Zuko exhaled and inhaled he continued to still look pale. Iroh's face cracked into a smile. " I know! I shall brew my tea for you! You will love it!" And before Zuko could call out to his uncle to come back his uncle had jogged out of the hallway on the right that would lead one to the kitchen._

End Flashback

Zuko smiled as he laid down on his soft bed. Even back then his uncle had loved tea. Zuko turned over so he now lay on his front so he could admire the quilt work. As he looked at it he had to admit it was pretty. The bedroom that he was in reminded him a little bit of his room back at the palace. Only his room was darker and definitely did not contain any trace of green. But the furniture and the style it was carved reminded him of home. " Home…" Zuko turned over so he was on his back one more. " Is it worth it?" He asked himself. " I wonder if father has kept my room the same way it was three years ago. Or has he redecorated it?" Zuko rolled to his side. " Why can't anything go right in my life? First mom disappears, then I'm banished, then I throw uncle in a dungeon! Just so I can go back home!" A tear appeared in the corner of his eye. " Why?" He whimpered as he hugged his legs close to his chest and the tear rolled down his cheek.

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After landing about a mile away from the village Katara had spotted they were just about ready to walk to the village. Aang scratched the itchy part of his body again " C'mon let's go!"

" We can't." Sokka said.

" Why not?" Aang whined. " I'm the avatar and my butt is itchy!"

" But the king's not dressed properly."

" So?"

" Well." Katara interjected. " It that village is fire nation then the king will be captured faster than someone can say supercalifrajilisticexpialidocious!"

" Well he can stay behind then!"

" I'm not staying behind!" Sokka, Toph and Katara all said in usion.

" I vote that sugar queen stays behind." Toph replied after silence had fallen and Sokka and Katara had been glaring at each other.

" I vote that Katara stays behind too." Sokka added, his face turning extremely smug. Katara stuck out her tongue at him. " You're just jealous that we voted that you off the island." Sokka countered.

Katara rolled her eyes. " Sokka, we're not on a island."

" Excuse me? We're on a piece of land that's surrounded by water and I call that an island."

" Oh yeah! Well if you think that way maybe you should head over to the water and dunk you head into it! That way you'll be able to wash your brain out!" At that remark Sokka and Katara started having an average brother and sister fight.

" Maybe Toph should be the only one that comes with me." Aang mumbled.

" I think that would be best." Toph responded since Katara and Sokka were still fighting and as Aang and Toph walked away he could still hear them.

" Well you're just a noodle faced jerk that gets fish hooks stuck in his hands!"

" I'm not the one that nearly set the village on fire because of her horrible cooking!"

" At least when _I_ make mistakes I fix them! Unlike you!"

" I fix my mistakes but at least I've kissed a girl!"

" Look Sokka, stop telling everybody you kissed Gran- Gran! ' Cuz if that's the only person that you can say has kissed you then you haven't really kissed anybody!"

" What are you talking about? The best kiss you get is from the frogs! You go around kissing them because you think that they'll turn into a prince! Well they're not going to!"

" And just who have you kissed Mr. Smart- Aleck?"

" Suki and Yue!"

" Is that all?"

" Yeah, well…."

By now Aang could no longer hear them. Though as he turned to look at his companion he thought she could hear what they were saying as she was smirking.

" Planning on buying anything Toph?" Aang questioned.

" No, not really." A smile spread across her face. " Unless they have stink bombs! From what I've heard they're pretty stinky!"

Aang laughed. " I think that's why they're called _stink_ bombs. Besides what do you plan on using them for?"

At this Toph looked in another direction and started whistling ' innocently.' Aang smiled but then it turned to a grimace as his butt started itching again. " How far away do you think the village is?"

" Not far, I can feel the vibrations and they're pretty strong." Toph replied while running her hands through her hair then a cry of frustration as her fingers got caught in a knot of hair. Aang turned to look at her. " When was the last time you washed your hair Toph?"

Toph stopped pulling her hair and stopped to think. " The time when me and Katara went to a spa and the last time I was at home."

" That was over a month ago!" Aang exclaimed, hardly daring to believe that somebody would care so little for their own hygiene. Especially a girl.

" Call it what you want. I call it a healthy coating of dirt." Aang nodded sceptically before pointing a wooden sign that was stuck in the ground lopsidedly. It read " Welcome to Knee-how." (It's mandarin, I talk Cantonese but I know that too.) Aang took a quick glance at the market that lay before him. It was a crowded village, more like a metropolis than a village as there were merchants pushing carts, merchants selling their merchandise in their shops and merchants selling their merchandise in trays attached to their neck with a string and yet there were other things going on. To Aang's right he saw a field where some boys dressed sloppily (indeed one of them even had some soup left over from his lunch on his shirt) that was playing soccer- element style. With their parents cheering them on in the stands. Aang squinted so he could see the benders. Only earth and water. Aang stared around even more it was so hard to take in. How come there were so much people in this one place?

" Hey watch it!" He shouted at a passing merchant that spilled tea on him as he rushed past shouting " Tea for sale! Tea for sale!"

Aang took a look at the sign again. At the bottom in capital letters " Fire nation free! No firebenders or fire nation people allowed!"

Me: I'm not sure which couple it will be so all suggestions are welcome!


	3. Thanks For The Pants

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the last airbender

Aang smiled, glad that at least there was one village in the world he wouldn't have to worry about because on the sign it was clearly stated that there was on no condition that the fire nation was allowed.

" Hello. Who are you?" Aang whipped around to find himself face to face with three muscular soldiers, all sporting green armour embroidered with silver platinum. Aang grinned his trademark grin but none of the men smiled back. " I'm the avatar and this is my friend Toph Bei Fong."

" Charmed." Toph remarked while she flicked a booger onto the soldier in the middle, who looked at her in disgust before wiping it off with a handkerchief.

" You're the avatar?" the soldier on the right questioned.

" Well. Yeah." Once again the grin. And to Aang's surprise all of the men grinned back!

" Welcome to Knee How then!" The man shook Aang's hand with enthusiasm. He turned to face Toph excitedly. " Then you're a member of the Bei Fong family?"

Toph dug around in her pockets before showing them her passport. The soldiers murmured excitedly before sinking into low bows. " It is an honour to have the booger of a member of the Bei Fong family on my nose for a short time." The soldier in the middle proclaimed.

" As it is an honour to meet the last hope for the world." The soldier on the left announced.

Aang smiled. " This is really flattering."

" May we get up now sir?"

Aang shrugged. " Sure."

" This here. Is where all the shops are." The man on the right gestured to the rows of shops.

" Looking for anything in particular, avatar?" The man that was leading him asked.

" Well, actually I was looking for a good pair of pants and- " Here Aang was cut off as the man yelled at the nearest shop keeper. " Did you hear that?" The avatar needs a pair of pants! So hup, hup get him a pair!"

The frightened shopkeeper nodded quickly, causing the long braid that fell down his back to fly up and down before darting into the back of his shop. "Any thing else Aang?" The soldier asked him.

" I also need a rash lotion…"

" Which part of the body?" Aang blushed before leaning forward and whispering into the man's ear. The soldier smirked before dashing off to yell at another shopkeeper.

" Here you go sir." The shopkeeper bowed as he held out Aang's new black silk pants.

" Could I get that in orange?" Aang questioned. " But still in silk." The shopkeeper ran back to his stand before the soldier could yell at him.

" Avatar!" He heard a voice in the distance. He could see the soldier who had ran off to get him some rash lotion running towards him. He sank into a deep bow once he reached Aang. " Presenting Avatar Aang's rash lotion." He proclaimed as he placed a small plastic bottle in the shape of a triangle into Aang's hand.

" Cool. Thanks." Aang laughed as he shook the bottle. " Look! It's wiggling around the bottle and moving!"

" Is it supposed to do that Ho Chow?" The soldier in the middle asked the one who had brought him the lotion.

" Absolutely."

" Avatar?" Aang nodded as the shopkeeper held out his new pants. " If you want you can change in my shop." The man suggested. He nervously looked at the soldiers and his pair of glasses slipped further down his nose from the sweat coming from his forehead.

" Ok. Thanks." Aang looked behind him. " Can you wait out here, Toph?"

" Yeah, yeah sure. Nobody's paying attention to Toph Bei Fong anyways." At Toph's words all the soldiers and the shopkeeper sank to the ground and bowed.

" What are they doing?" Toph asked lazily.

" It- it is an honour to meet someone of the wealthy Bei Fong family." The shopkeeper said nervously.

"We are terribly sorry Miss Bei Fong. Do you need anything else?" All the soldiers said in usion.

" Toph Bei Fong of the royal Bei Fongs, do you wish to buy an object from my humble shop." The shopkeeper questioned in the humblest voice he could muster without sounding excited.

" If it's as humble as you I probably won't." Toph jeered at him. The colour from the shopkeepers face disappeared as he stood up and led Aang into his shop, leaving the soldiers to chat with Toph.

" So….. Toph Bei Fong is it?" One of the soldiers asked as he took off his helmet, revealing his handsome face. Startling emerald green eyes popped out at Aang. His straight nose complimented his high cheekbones as his cheekbones complimented his rosy coloured lips. And his short black hair fell onto his forehead in the most graceful and handsome way possible.

" Yes, I'm Toph."

" Well, maybe you'd like to come over to my place sometime and-" Toph stuck a finger to his lips, silencing him. " Are you hitting on me?" She cried the fury and amusmant clear in her voice.

" Uhh…." The soldier looked uncomfortable before winking at her. " What would you say if I said yes?" He asked flirtatiously, taking a chance.

" You know I'm twelve right?"

" Y- you are?"

" Yeah!" Toph shouted before stomping both of her feet into the ground and squeezing her two hands together, causing an earth cage to form and by raising her left hand into the air the cage squeezed together, trapping the soldier. With a nod of her head a flat piece of earth popped out of the ground and made the roof.

Both of the soldiers that were not in the cage looked at Toph nervously. " Don't worry you guys didn't do anything so I won't hurt you." Toph smirked in satisfaction as she felt the soldier in the cage struggle and the sighs of relief from the two that rested.

" What's going on?" Aang's curious voice cut through the air and the awkward silence ended.

" Hey Aang. Got your pants?" Toph asked casually.

" Yeah but why's that soldier in a cage?" Aang asked while pointing

" He was asking for it!" Toph cried.

" It's ok." The shortest soldier interrupted before Aang could say something he would regret. " We'll get him out of there."

" You better." Came the bitter response of the soldier in the cage.

" He's not an earthbender." The shortest whispered as he rushed towards the cage and struck it with his body, causing the cage to break and the man was free.

" Thanks for everything." Aang shook all three soldiers hand.

" Thanks for letting me practice my earthbending on you." Toph thanked him. She held out her hand. He high-fived her, a permanent scowl on his face.

" You sure I don't have to pay for this?" Aang held up the bottle and pointed at his pants.

" No need avatar. The world is indebted to you. We may have a chance to beat this war yet! I suppose you're heading to Ba Sing Se then? To get help from him and his troops?" The soldier questioned, a bright smile on his face.

Aang looked at Toph and could tell that her heart was sinking as well. " Actually, Ba Sing Se has been taken over by the fire nation." He told the soldier, the tears in his eyes blurring his vision and as the tear trickled out of his eye and splashed on the floor, it was followed by another and another…..

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" Zuko." Came the voice of Azula. Zuko sat up alarmed. " May I come in?" She questioned.

Zuko wiped at his eyes before calling " Enter." Azula entered the room wearing a smirk on her face. " Put on your armour Zu-Zu, we're taking Ba Sing Se today."

" Don't call me Zu- Zu!"

" Fine. Just put your armour on." Azula said in a sweet voice that sent shivers up Zuko's spine. Azula crossed the room. She cast a glance at Zuko. " And hurry up about it." With a last look at Zuko she closed the door, leaving an eerie silence in Zuko's room.

Zuko rolled off of his bed and cursed as he landed on the floor. He rubbed at his back as he staggered over to his dresser. He wanted to throw up as he searched around in the drawer. Evidently his loving sister Azula hadn't taken the liberty of stocking any fire nation armour in his room. Only that hideous green and grey armour. " Aarrrghhh!" Zuko threw the armour across the room where it hit the wall and left a small dent.

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Azula smirked as she shut the door with a snap. She quickly checked her appearance in the mirror that hung on the wall. Good. Not a single hair out of place. She strutted off to the dungeon where her captives were being held.

As she neared the dungeon the soldiers guarding the dungeon had been playing a card game but quickly straightened up as Azula approached them. " Open the door." Azula hissed.

The soldier whimpered but obeyed the command. Azula slammed the iron door shut and turned to face her hostages. Ten maids, six butlers and a chef had been thrown in the dungeon. Each and everyone had been gagged and were bound to the dungeon wall by handcuffs. Azula motioned with her hand to have a maid be released from the wall and ungagged. The soldiers nodded in response. Within seconds the sound of a key clicking and the gasp of breath was heard.

The two soldiers kept a steady hold on the lady as she glared daggers at Azula.

" Do you know why you're not dead already?" Azula questioned the maid.

The maid shook her head wildly. " I'll tell you why." Azula continued in that sleek voice. " Because I command it. And if you want to keep staying alive I suggest that you co-operate. Understand?"

" Yes." The maid replied with a calm voice that surprised Azula.

" Very well then." Azula lit up a ball of fire in her hand. " Tell me what you know about the king!" She shouted as her hand drifted up to the maid's neck and rested there.

" W- what do you need to know?" The maid asked in between hazy gasps as she looked fearfully at the fire that could burn her neck at any moment.

Azula smirked in triumph; this woman was going to work very nicely. ….


	4. I'm sorry Author'snote

Hi, I'm really really sorry I didn't update my story but to be honest; I didn't really know what I had planned for the next chapter and then season 3 for Avatar: The Last Airbender came out. So .. this story will be discontinued. I'm sorry I had a really bad case of writer's block because there was all sorts of drama and then summer, my birthday and romances.

But right now me and my friend Splitz-Girl (search her up) we're writing a story together and we've already got 2 chapters up and the good news is that; its based on our lives and I'm totally into it because I've re-discovered my passion for writing.

However she submitted it into Naruto and its about our lives only we've taken on Naruto names and such. We started writing it 2 days ago and I plan on writing a new chapter every day. So here's the link for the story.

http://dot www.dotfanfiction.dotnet/s/3843697/1/KonohaMiddleSchool

remove the dots

And here's a small preview (that I wrote) for the third chapter;

--A few weeks had passed and from the outside if one had taken up the duty of observing the 10 kids everything would look back to normal as Temari was allowed back into the group. However from the inside it was not as pleasant; true Temari was back in, which pleased some and disturbed others but now Temari was no longer "herself". Now she seemed .. plastic … she no longer made jokes or trusted the others, all she did was compliment, compliment and compliment. In other words she was toeing the line;being so nice no one could kick her out again. At first it was nice but she was soon becoming those irritating people that are too happy for their own good and Sakura wanted to snap her out of it. What had happened to her bestfriend? It was obvious to Sakura that Temari was still suffering but was hiding it. She wanted to help.--

Thank you for all the reviews and support ) I really appreciated them.

Straight

(Who knows I might write more storys .. my passion for writing has been re-kindled)


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